[Elecraft] W2IHY 8 band equalizer and EQ Plus

[Lu Romero]

Bob:  This is becoming somewhat off topic...

While I agree in principle, in practice, there are some high
frequency sibilance "formants" that need bandwidth up to and
including 2.8kHz to almost 3kHz to be well understood. 
There are also some harmonics, especially in male voices,
that go down below 300-400 Hz.  This is all variable with
each person's individual voice, so YMMV.

Joe, W4TV, clued me in to a small nuance that I had
completely neglected a few months back.  He listened to my
EQ settings and mentioned that my audio was punchy but
"thin" as he put it.  I listened to a recording that AD4C
made of me and I realized that I was clipping off some low
harmonics by completely dropping everything below 400Hz.  

I now add a little +3dB bump to my EQ settings around 200Hz.
 It gives me some added "presence".  That little hump sort
of "fattens" my voice and helps lift it over hissy band
noise a bit.  Im setting up the NQ4I Orions the same way,
too, and its made quite a difference.  

I also like a little hint of "Harmonic Distortion" in my
audio, especially in the DVK.  Just my personal preference,
it adds what I call "edge" to the a CQ Message Loop.  My
TS850 did this with "high boost" on by itself, and I can
duplicate it with the MicroKeyer's recording path.  I record
ALL DVK through the MicroKeyer's recording facility now,
with consistently repeatable results.  I play out through
N1MM's DVK through the MicroKeyer2's soundcard.

I have almost gotten used to the "different" EQ band center
frequencies in the K3 Equalizer, too  :) 

I have owned K3 #3192 for almost 6 months now.  It has taken
me almost all that time to feel comfortable with the audio
chain to the extent that I was comfortable with my former
TS850S equipped with a slew of Behringer and Radio Design
Labs outboard processing toys.  

The only things that I would add to the K3 transmitter
processing chain would be a bit more headroom, a Pre-DSP two
band audio leveler/AGC and handles for Attack, Decay and
Ratio on the RF Clipper.  If Lyle could do this I would kiss
the ring!

They should hold a seminar on this at Elecraft and not let
anybody access the last three adjustments until they passed
a certification test, however!  It would be like giving
Nuclear Missiles to Mohmar Khadaffi in the hands of the
uninitiated  :)

-lu-w4lt-

----- Original Message Follows -----
From: "Bob McGraw - K4TAX" <RMcGraw at Blomand.net>
To: <lromero at ij.net>, <"Elecraft List
<elecraft"@mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] W2IHY 8 band equalizer and EQ Plus
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:40:25 -0500

>One of the things we often fail to implement is the
>transmit bandwidth being  adjusted much like the receiving
>bandwidth on the other end.  In a contest  situation likely
>the receiving station is using a 1500 to 1800 Hz receiver 
>bandwidth with likely band pass tuning such that the lower
>300 to 500 Hz of  that is attenuated.  This makes for an
>effective receive bandwidth of some  1300 Hz or so.
>
>Now then with our transmitter setting for a "full width"
>normal SSB  bandwidth of say 2.6 or 2.8 KHz and a low end
>roll off of say 120 Hz this  make for an effective
>bandwidth of some 2600 Hz.  Yes our transmitter power  is
>spread over that bandwidth.  Wouldn't it make more sense to
>concentrate  the transmitter power over say 1300 Hz rather
>than 2600 Hz?  In doing so one  gains almost 3 dB of
>effective power increase with actually no increase in  PEP.
> Plus the other folks on the band will appreciate the
>narrow signals.
>
>Yes of course it will sound pinched up but in reality there
>is little  information in the male voice spoken range below
>400 Hz and little above  1500 to 1800 Hz.  But hey, some of
>the compressed and processed signals only  serve to occupy
>the full 2600 Hz of bandwidth, with what?  It's not pretty 
>for sure.  So if you want a screaming DX pileup busting
>signal, squeeze in  the bandwidth and don't worry about the
>EQ or the special purpose mike.  Your good sounding SSB
>mike into that transmitter bandwidth will do the job  just
>fine and the neighbors on either side of your frequency
>will appreciate  your efforts.
>
>73
>Bob, K4TAX
>
>